Tuesday, February 06, 2007

New car registrations rise in January

New Zealand new car registrations totalled 6792 in January compared with 5468 in the previous month, a rise of 24 per cent and up 7.6 per cent from a year earlier, Land Transport New Zealand said today. Used car registrations - generally imported used cars - totalled 9799 last month, 13 per cent below a year ago, the government agency said in a statement. New commercial vehicle registrations during the month were 1676 up from 1543 recorded a month earlier, and up 14.3 per cent on January 2006. The top selling make for the month was Toyota with 1164 new cars, followed by Holden with 1054 new cars. .

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Mazda awards young driver with an MX-5 and racing career

You've got to hand it to Mazda. They want to be Zoom Zoom and they poney up the products and the marketing to back it up. Back in October we told you about Mazda's unique sponsorship of the SCCA, where they ran a contest for Mazda drivers in the amateur series. To be eligible to win, drivers had to win of one of the National Championships at the 2006 SCCA Runoffs. The winner gets a MX-5 with a ton of modifications, plenty of MazdaSpeed parts, and the money and tires to race in the 2007 SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup. After three days of racing, four of the top 25 drivers were in Mazdas and were eligible to win the prizes, which amount to about $50,000 and a chance of a lifetime to race with the pros. 18-year-old Andrew Caddell came in first in the competition by being near perfect in 10 of the 11 on and off track challenges.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Car Review - Skoda Roomster

Skoda has broken into the highly competitive MPV market with the launch of the new Roomster. Currently embarking upon a massive TV advertising campaign, Skoda have a lot to be proud of with the Roomster, being the first Skoda to be awarded five stars in the EURO NCAP rating for adult occupant safety. The Skoda Roomster will be available on three trims, Roomster 1,2 and 3 with a choice of four petrol engines and three diesels. Prices start from just over £9,000 for the entry level Roomster 1 mated to a 1.2 litre petrol engine, rising to top of the range Roomster 3 on a 1.9 diesel engine which is seriously competitive and very appealing to families. A host of optional extras are available in an effort to really personalise the family car. The exterior of the Roomster will probably not win any beauty contest, but dont forget, "beauty is within" and this is certainly the case with the Roomster.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Nazi-era Audi on display in New York before auction

NEW YORK A rare Nazi-era race car is making a pit stop in New York City today, on its way to an auction in Paris. The sleek silver D-Type -- made by Audi's forerunner company -- is believed to be one of only two in existence. An Audi spokesman says it was hidden in a German mine shaft during World War Two. The car revolutionized racing by putting the driver in front of the engine, instead of behind. The Silver Arrow could hit speeds up to 185 miles an hour. More than 20 such cars were built between 1933 and 1939. This model was designed by Ferdinand Porsche. It goes on display today at Audi's showroom on Park Avenue. The Silver Arrow will be auctioned next month as part of Christie's Retromobile sale. It could fetch a sale price of nearly 15 (m) million dollars.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Ford, Toyota may establish deeper ties

Toyota Motor Corp and Ford Motor Co are sending more signals that they may want to establish deeper ties, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. The report said part of Toyota's aim in courting Ford is diplomacy -- an effort to win what people familiar with management 's thinking describe as political peace from the US's second- biggest automobile producer. Though protectionist rhetoric has abated significantly, Toyota officials remain concerned about a possible backlash as they continue to gain market share in the US while Detroit's Big Three shut factories and ax jobs, according to the report. Analysts expect Toyota to outsell Ford in the US on an annual basis as early as this year. Toyota also could benefit in a practical way if Ford agreed to use its gasoline-electric hybrid technology, said the report, adding that is in part because Toyota's momentum in establishing its hybrid design as an industry standard has slowed.